Vitamin K lowers diabetes risk
People who get plenty of vitamin K from food have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Advertisement
People who get plenty of vitamin K from food have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The important risk factors for type 2 diabetes include older age, obesity and family history of diabetes. The extent to which specific nutrients in the diet might affect diabetes risk remains unclear. Vitamin K exists in two natural forms: vitamin K1, or phylloquinone, found largely in green leafy vegetables, as well as some vegetable oils, such as canola and soybean oils; and vitamin K2, or menaquinone, which people get mainly through meat, cheese and eggs.
To study the relationship between Vitamin K intake and diabetes risk, researchers followed 38,094 Americans, aged between 20 and 70 years, for almost a decade. Participants completed a detailed diet survey, from which each person's average vitamin K intake was estimated; they also answered questions on their overall health and lifestyle habits.
Over the next 10 years, 918 study participants were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, based on their medical records. It was found that the risk of developing type 2 diabetes dipped for every 10-microgram (mcg) increase in vitamin K2 intake. Overall, the one-quarter of participants with the highest intake were 20 percent less likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than the one-quarter with the lowest intake. With vitamin K1, no decreased risk was seen until consumption of the vitamin was relatively high. Similar to the findings with vitamin K2, the one-quarter of men and women who got the most vitamin K1 were almost 20 percent less likely to develop diabetes than the quarter with the lowest intake.
The researchers accounted for a number of other factors important in diabetes risk, including age, body weight and exercise habits. They also considered other dietary habits, like total calorie intake and consumption of certain other nutrients, like fat, fibre and vitamins C and E. Still, higher vitamin K intake, itself, was linked to a lower diabetes risk.
Exactly how vitamin K reduces the risk of diabetes is not known, but it could be attributed to the fact that vitamin K reduces systemic inflammation, which may improve the body's use of insulin - the hormone that regulates blood-sugar.
The important risk factors for type 2 diabetes include older age, obesity and family history of diabetes. The extent to which specific nutrients in the diet might affect diabetes risk remains unclear. Vitamin K exists in two natural forms: vitamin K1, or phylloquinone, found largely in green leafy vegetables, as well as some vegetable oils, such as canola and soybean oils; and vitamin K2, or menaquinone, which people get mainly through meat, cheese and eggs.
To study the relationship between Vitamin K intake and diabetes risk, researchers followed 38,094 Americans, aged between 20 and 70 years, for almost a decade. Participants completed a detailed diet survey, from which each person's average vitamin K intake was estimated; they also answered questions on their overall health and lifestyle habits.
Over the next 10 years, 918 study participants were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, based on their medical records. It was found that the risk of developing type 2 diabetes dipped for every 10-microgram (mcg) increase in vitamin K2 intake. Overall, the one-quarter of participants with the highest intake were 20 percent less likely to be diagnosed with diabetes than the one-quarter with the lowest intake. With vitamin K1, no decreased risk was seen until consumption of the vitamin was relatively high. Similar to the findings with vitamin K2, the one-quarter of men and women who got the most vitamin K1 were almost 20 percent less likely to develop diabetes than the quarter with the lowest intake.
The researchers accounted for a number of other factors important in diabetes risk, including age, body weight and exercise habits. They also considered other dietary habits, like total calorie intake and consumption of certain other nutrients, like fat, fibre and vitamins C and E. Still, higher vitamin K intake, itself, was linked to a lower diabetes risk.
Exactly how vitamin K reduces the risk of diabetes is not known, but it could be attributed to the fact that vitamin K reduces systemic inflammation, which may improve the body's use of insulin - the hormone that regulates blood-sugar.
DoctorNDTV is the one stop site for all your health needs providing the most credible health information, health news and tips with expert advice on healthy living, diet plans, informative videos etc. You can get the most relevant and accurate info you need about health problems like diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, weight loss and many other lifestyle diseases. We have a panel of over 350 experts who help us develop content by giving their valuable inputs and bringing to us the latest in the world of healthcare.
Advertisement